February 19, 2009 Mini-class on Wheat

Over 50 people from various wards in our Nibley Stake attended this hour-long miniclass. Many husbands attended, too. Although I am the Emergency Preparedness Specialist in Relief Society and have studied and had to live a self-reliant life, I don't know everything. One of the greatest benefits for us all in attending our meetings of any kind is that we learn from each other. I met wonderful sisters and brothers that night who shared their thoughts and experiences and contributed greatly to the meeting.

The following information was shared at the meeting:

February 19, 2009 Mini-class on Wheat
1. There are three main types of wheat that homemakers use: red or white hard wheat, which contains a higher amount of protein and gluten. This makes it the best choice when making bread-type items: dough for bread or rolls. The gluten in the wheat is what holds the cell walls together in the yeast-rising and baking processes. This wheat contains less starch than soft wheat. Another type of wheat is red or white soft wheat. This wheat has lower protein content, not as much gluten and a higher concentration of starch which makes it an excellent choice when making cakes and cookies. Why do I store soft pastry wheat? The answer is simple: I like to bake cookies, cakes and pastries. I have stored flour in the past. It develops an off-taste after a couple of years. I have stored soft wheat for years and have not had that problem. The soft wheat stores for up to 30 years. The third type of wheat typically used by homemakers is called durum wheat. This is used to make pasta and may also be called semolina wheat. We will have a mini-class on pasta making later in the season, and I have used hard wheat flour and white flour to make my own pasta.

2. Nutritional value of wheat: hard wheat contains 11-15% protein (soft wheat 9-12%), calcium, vitamin E, and iron and is high in fiber. When sprouted it also contains vitamins A, B and C. When wheat is mixed with other sources of protein: milk, beans, rice, eggs, etc., the percent of protein increases as wheat is an incomplete protein. When mixed with other proteins, it forms a complete protein with all of the essential amino acids. White flour is whole wheat flour which has had the bran (fiber) and wheat germ (vitamin E) milled out of it. I believe that other nutrients are also lost in the bleaching and processing of this flour, which is why whole wheat flour is so highly prized.

3. Long-term storage of wheat. We don’t want our wheat to be damp or moldy or full of bugs (weevils). In order to control the quality of our wheat, it must be kept cool and dry and have a moisture content between 10-12%. When the wheat is kept cool and dry and in rodent-proof containers, weevils cannot exist in this environment. In order to achieve this moisture content, wheat can be spread in a cookie sheet to a depth of no more than ¾ inch and placed in an oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes with the oven door propped open to allow the moisture to escape. There is controversy as to whether wheat will be able to sprout once it reaches this lower moisture content. Another way of storing wheat is to place it in number 10 cans (at the cannery) and place an oxygen packet in that can before sealing the can. Weevils cannot exist in an atmosphere where there is no oxygen. The third way of treating wheat for long-term storage is to coat the wheat berries (kernels) with diatomaceous earth (DE). Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring substance and comes in food grade and chemical grade. The food grade is the one you would need to purchase. Diatomaceous earth particles are such that they are extremely dry and have microscopic jagged edges. When a bug or weevil comes contact with DE, it nearly sucks the life-blood out of the insect so that it dies. In addition the jagged edges in the particles also cut the insect and make it impossible for it to live in that environment. See information in your hand-out. Freezing and dry ice only kill hatched larvae or adults and do not kill weevil eggs. Bay leaves have no effect on weevils. If you are going to store your wheat in number 10 cans with oxygen packets, you need no DE. If you are going to store your wheat in food-grade plastic buckets, you will need the DE as over time oxygen does reenter plastic buckets if you have used oxygen packets in there as a means of storage. See hand-out for additional storage information.

4. Yeast – there are different types of yeast, but for our purposes we will discuss two of them that can be purchased in stores: regular yeast and fast-rising yeast. Regular yeast is the yeast we have all been using for years and can be bought by the packet or by the vacuum-packed package. It used to be sold as cakes of yeast. Rapid rise yeast came on the market in response to those who manufacture bread makers. There are cycles in them now where rapid rise yeast is used and the bread only rises once, and so you have bread that much faster as opposed to 3 and ½ hours with two risings and slower yeast. Rapid rise yeast contains ascorbic acid and sometimes sorbitan monostearate, while yeast is the only ingredient in regular yeast. Yeast does not keep indefinitely even when it remains in its vacuum packed container. If you want to keep it long term, store it in the freezer. I have found that frozen yeast keeps its viability for many years that way while yeast stored at room temperature unopened loses some of its ability to adequately raise bread after a few years.

5. Bread making. There are two important facts to remember in bread making: moisture is absorbed slowly in wheat due to the bran and less refining, AND, that the humidity in the air affects how quickly or slowly moisture it is absorbed into the flour and how much moisture is needed for that day. So, on a low humidity, high barometric day (sunny and clear), your bread will absorb moisture more quickly and may use the recommended amount in the recipe, while on cloudy, more humid, rainy, low barometric pressure days, your flour may absorb moisture more slowly, and your bread recipe may need more flour to absorb all of the moisture. It is always better to grind wheat and bake on a clear, sunny day than a cloudy one. Nevertheless, you can still do both on cloudy, rainy, or humid days. Just understand that wheat flour acts a little differently on these two types of days. Good bread is dependent on using hard wheat (bread flour), the correct amount of kneading to develop the gluten, and yeast that is active. To test your yeast put some warm water in a small bowl. The temperature of the water should be slightly above body temperature as too hot a temperature kills the yeast. Mix in a teaspoon of liquid honey or sugar and stir until it is incorporated into the water. Then sprinkle a teaspoon of yeast on top of the water. Within five minutes or so the yeast should have melted and begun bubbling. By ten minutes there should be a considerable amount of bubbling in this mixture. If there is only a quarter inch or so on top of the mixture, your yeast may have lost its ability to rise. If unsure, always follow this test instead of going through the bread making process only to find out that your bread is not rising.

Knead your bread dough between 5 to 10 minutes. Too little kneading does not break down the gluten sufficiently to allow for good cell wall production in the baking process. Too much kneading breaks down the gluten too much to the point where it cannot support good cell wall production. You will learn this through trial and error the way we all did. Also, you want your bread to contain the least amount of flour called for instead of the most. The least amount gives you a lighter, fluffier bread while the most gives you a heavier more dense bread. If the kneading process is too sticky for your hands, try adding a little more flour or let the dough rest. As the dough rests, it incorporates more of the moisture so that you don’t have to add as much flour. Another way to knead sticky bread is to rub some shortening on your kneading area. It prevents the dough from sticking to the counter and your hands while kneading. Remember to coat a bowl with shortening or lightly oil it before placing your bread dough in it to rise. Slow rising produces better cell wall production than rapid rising. Some sisters place the dough in a warmed oven or near some other source of warmth to speed up the rising time. While it does speed the bread rising process up, you will find that your bread is better if it rises more slowly. Grease and flour your bread pan before patting the dough into the pan. Let that dough double in size before placing it into the oven to bake. To test for doneness take the loaf out of the oven, while still in the pan, and tap on it with your fingers. It should sound hollow. You will learn the sound over time.

I have been experimenting with bread baking for four months now because I want a good loaf of bread that is soft inside, keeps well, is moist and is 100% whole wheat with no white flour. I have found that the adding gluten (about ¼ cup) per one loaf bread recipe gives me a moister loaf of bread (you must decrease the amount of flour in your recipe by 1/2 cup if adding gluten.) I have experimented with dough enhancer. I have not liked the results of my bread with using it to any degree, but remember that your expectations may be different than mine. You may enjoy the results, so try it in some recipes to see if you want to continue using it. After bread has cooled thoroughly, you may freeze it or use it. If you are going to use it right away, wrap it tightly in a plastic bag, and then wrap again in a different plastic bag. I have found that by using two plastic bags that my bread stays softer and moister for longer periods. I have also found that refrigerating fresh bread causes mine to go stale and become dry very quickly. You may want to experiment with this also.

6. Years ago I saved my money and did my own research into grain grinders and bought a Retsel grain grinder made up in McCammon, Idaho. This company has been around for a very long time and makes functional grain grinders with no fancy cabinets. It is essentially a motor with a stone grinder attached. The reason I chose this kind of grinder is that I wanted my flour to be stone ground at a slow rate of speed. The faster it is stone ground, the greater heat it produces and the more nutrients are lost. Also, this grinder comes with metal grinding plates as well (ordered separately) so that I can grind grains and seeds that are oily. Don’t grind anything that contains a lot of oil in your stone grinder as it will glaze the stones, and they will not grind properly. If I have anything oily like corn or even rice, I will grind it using the metal plates instead of the stones. The stones are adjustable for every degree of fineness or coarseness. The other great feature of the Retsel grinder is that it comes with a handle that can be attached so that the wheat can be manually ground. The major difference between this grinder and any other manual grinder is the fact that the Retsel has gears in it like a bicycle so that the grinding process is more easily accomplished than the grinders that are sold without the gears. Try grinding wheat in a grinder without gears and you will expend a great deal of energy just to get enough flour to produce pancakes or bread. Manual grinding with the Retsel is so much easier and faster. The Retzel grinder is expensive, but remember you are only buying this once. The company offers a good warranty and repairs, if necessary.

The other kind of grinder that has come out on the market has steel teeth in it. It tends to grind that wheat faster and has a container that catches the flour as it is ground. The adjustment of fineness and coarseness is available and useable, but to a lesser degree than the Retsel grinder. It is also very loud. Another drawback to mine (Nutrimill) is that it seems to have been designed to grind hard red wheat more easily than white wheat. The grains of red wheat are shorter and thinner than white wheat. The white wheat tends to clog the inlet area where the wheat filters down through a channel to be ground. I sometimes have to stop the grinding process to open up this channel because of this or else I have to accept a coarser grind of wheat in order to get the grinding process to proceed without my being so vigilant of the whole process. The coarser ground wheat is still quite acceptable for bread making.

7. Wheat sprouts – It is always good to know if your wheat will sprout because, who knows, maybe someday we may want or have to grow our own plot of wheat. In the winter when you cannot easily grow lettuce for salad or sandwiches, the sprouts are a nice alternative for lettuce for salads or sandwiches. You can also dry the sprouts, grind them and add them to bread recipes or whatever else you are making. When you sprout wheat, you are increasing the nutrient value of the wheat in many ways. You can also let your sprouts continue growing into grass (called wheat grass). This also intensifies the amount of nutrients available. You can liquefy the wheat grass in a blender and add a small amount of it to whatever you are drinking for added vitamin value. See the hand-out for tips on growing sprouts. They need to be kept in a dark place and just moist in order to begin growing. The whole process should take 3 to 4 days. Sprouts are used when they are ¼ to ½ inch long. They are white in color. If you want them to turn green, expose them to sunlight for a day or so.

Additional hand-out given that night:
Wheat Facts and Storage
Wheat is the cornerstone of any emergency storage supply. Approximately 300 lbs (of wheat or a combination of grains) will supply an adult for one year (plus 60 lbs. of dried beans). Children under 8 years old would need half those amounts. Wheat has been separated into several commercial classes based on color, hardness of the kernel, and growing season. The hard wheat classes are produced in areas that have dry-temperate climates. The kernels are usually small, red, and have a hard texture. The white wheat classes are usually produced in areas where winters are relatively mild and there is adequate moisture. White wheat kernels are more plump and larger than red wheat kernels and have a softer texture than hard wheat. Wheat kernels are also known as wheat “berries”. Gluten is a wheat protein that gives flours the ability to retain gases produced by bread yeast to permit dough leavening. The hard red wheat varieties are high in gluten and make the best bread flour. Gluten will degrade during storage and lose half its raising power after several years of storage. Gluten can be purchased and added to poor quality flour in order to produce better quality bread.

Quality and Purchase. Whole wheat berries can be purchased from a producer (farmer). These grains are almost always not cleaned and may have been bulk stored for many months. Grains may also be purchased from a processor. In this case they may have been cleaned and packaged. Do not purchase “seed” wheat for storage, since these products may have toxic chemical treatments. Lastly, grains may be purchased cleaned and packaged from a retailer. Please call your local county Cooperative Extension Office for local outlets to purchase grains for storage.


Variety Protein Best Use(s)
Hard red spring , Hard red winter & Hard white spring 11-15% bread flour (high gluten)
Soft red winter, Soft white winter & Soft white spring 9-12% pasta, cake, biscuit, cracker, and pastry flours (low gluten)
Packaging. Store wheat in moisture-proof, food-grade packaging, such as Mylar-type bags, polyethylene bags, plastic buckets, or #10 cans. Be aware that rodents can chew through plastic bags. Wheat stored in ~10 pound bags is easy to manipulate, facilitates rotation, allows easy inspection of the grain, and compartmentalizes the grain so contamination of one lot does not expose large quantities of stored grain to contamination. Several bags can be placed inside a 5-gallon plastic bucket. It is not necessary to store wheat in the absence of oxygen unless insects are present.
Storage Conditions. Storage at 40-60°F is optimal for most home stored grains but is usually impractical in most homes except during winter months. Freezing or sub-zero temperatures do not damage stored grains. Storage at temperatures above 60°F causes a more rapid decline in seed viability (ability to germinate) but only a slightly faster loss in food value. A moisture level over 12% encourages mold growth and chemical degradation of all grains (barley, corn, millets, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, triticale, and wheat). Moisture above 12% may allow grains to start to respire causing chemical degradation. Moisture above 15% will allow molds to grow. When the moisture reaches 20% some bacteria can start to grow. The result is spoiled grain unfit for use. Store containers off the floor-- especially off concrete floors. Concrete can wick moisture to stored containers very easily. Inspect grain often for insect activity. Treat for insects (see below) or discard affected lots.

MethodInsect ControlRecommendation
Insecticides NOT RECOMMENDED, may be toxic if not correctly used

Heating NOT RECOMMENDED, too difficult to control the correct amount of heat to apply and may inhibit sprouting.

Bay leaves or salt NOT RECOMMENDED, these have absolutely no effect on insects or insect eggs.

Freezing Freeze 1-15 lb bags of wheat for 2-3 days. Allow to warm for 24 hours. Freezing kills live pests, but not insect eggs. Multiple freezing and warming cycles may be needed to kill all insects and hatching eggs.
Vacuum Sealing Seal wheat in vacuum bags using follow vacuum sealer instructions. Regular polyethylene bags are not suitable to maintain a vacuum.
Dry Ice (CO2) Place 3-4” of grain in the bottom of a 5-gallon plastic bucket. Use gloves when handling dry ice. Add 2-3 oz. crushed dry ice. Fill the container to the full height. Place the lid on top slightly askew. After 30 minutes, seal the lid air-tight. Dry ice will control most adult and larval insects present, but usually will not destroy eggs or pupae. If properly applied, a single treatment with dry ice is sufficient for long-term storage. Annual dry ice treatments are not necessary unless an infestation is recognized in the stored grain. Treating grain with dry ice does not reduce its ability to sprout or its food value.

Oxygen absorbers: Seal wheat in Mylar-type bags or #10 cans along with appropriate number of oxygen absorber packets to create an oxygen-free atmosphere. This will kill adult insects and prevent larval insects from surviving.

No treatment Choose insect-free sources for wheat. Store them in clean and dry containers impermeable to insects.

Polyethylene bags and 5-gallon plastic buckets will not maintain an oxygen-free environment after dry-ice or oxygen absorber treatment. Over time oxygen will re-enter the container and this may allow larvae to grow to adults and cause an infestation during storage.

Heating– The heating method will kill all infestations, however, if done incorrectly, it will damage the wheat. Pour wheat up to half an inch deep in a shallow baking pan and place in a preheated 150-degree oven for only 15-20 minutes. Oven door may be left open to allow moisture and heat to escape.

Organic– Diatomaceous earth is an organic method to rid wheat of "critters" yet it is not harmful to man or animals. It is also inexpensive and easy to use.
For each 5-gallon container, put in one and a quarter cups of diatomaceous earth and roll the container until all the wheat grains are dusted. To use wheat after treatment, rinse and blot dry the grain– but remember that it is not necessary, as it is an organic material and harmless to humans. Ed. Note: This article was adapted from The Beehive News, Las Vegas, NV. Originally written by Karen Hale. Many of these suggestions can also be applied to other forms of grain. Grains and legumes should form the base of any food storage program. Rotate– (prepare and eat ) regularly for best storage results.

Nutrition and Allergies. A typical serving of whole wheat is 16 grams. It is recommended that adults get at least three servings (48g) per day. Wheat grain is high in protein, fiber, calcium and iron. Spouting wheat can obtain small amounts of vitamins A, B, C, and E not present in whole grain wheat. Other health claims for sprouted wheat remain unsubstantiated and lack science-based credibility.
6Wheat Nutrition
16 g serving Hard Red Hard White Soft White Soft Red
Calories 57 53 53 53
Cal. From fat 3 1.5 3 2
Fat 0.35 0.15 0.35 0.25
Tot. Carbohydrates 11 11 11 12
Dietary Fiber 1.7 2.0 2.0 2.0
Protein 2.3 2.0 2.3 1.7

Why is it so great?Wheat is packed with vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, processing used to produce and refine white flour removes most of the valuable nutrients. Wheat kernels have three main divisions; the bran, the endosperm, and the inner embryo or wheat germ. The bran layer constitutes 14% of the wheat kernel and is removed when producing white flour. The bran is packed with vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, iron, and iodine. The bran also happens to be the best source of dietary fiber which aids in digestion and helps ward off disease. The wheat germ layer is an excellent source of vitamin E, as well as other vitamins and protein. Many important nutrients are removed when layers are separated during processing. For this reason, it makes sense to put whole wheat back into your diet. Pound for pound, wheat is one of the least expensive foods available. And, since grain products will expand in your stomach--satisfying you even if you eat less--using wheat products can help you stretch your budget by eliminating the need for store-bought, overpriced, and over-processed goods.

If you are concerned that your food storage may be lacking in protein, a good supply of wheat and beans will form a complete protein. Just a half cup of uncooked wheat contains 8 to 10 grams of protein. So, not only will wheat give you the protein needed for muscle growth and repair, but you will have a low-fat complex carbohydrate to give your body the energy it needs to make it through the day.
Shelf life. Develop a program to utilize stored wheat on a regular basis. As stored wheat is used, replace it with containers of new wheat. Identify each container for variety and storage date. A good rule of thumb is to rotate wheat so that no stored product is older than 5 years. However, older stored wheat did make acceptable bread. A B.Y.U. study indicated that, regardless of headspace oxygen level, wheat packaged in No. 10 cans throughout 32 years of storage at ambient or cooler temperatures made bread acceptable to a majority of consumers.

References. 1Brennand and Hendricks. 1988. “Food Storage in the Home.” USU Extension Circular 257, Logan, Utah. 16 p.; 2Cuperus, G. (coordinator). 1989. Wheat Pest Management, a Guide to Profitable and Environmentally Sound Production. Extension Service/United States Department of Agriculture, The Wheat Industry Resource Committee, and The National Association of Wheat Growers Foundation. 59 p.;3Green, D. J. Rose, L. V. Ogden, and O. A. Pike. 2005. Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, Brigham Young University, S221 ESC, Provo, UT 84602. Poster: IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana. ;4Hilfliger, E. (editor). 1980. Wheat-documenta: CIBA-GEIGY, Technical Monograph. CIBA¬GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 95 p.;5Martin, J. H., W. H. Leonard, and D. L. Stamp. 1976. Principles of Field Crop Production, 3rd edition. Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., New York. 1118 p.;6USDA Nutrition Database. Obtained via Esha Genesis Software.;http://www.wheatfoods.org for recipes using wheat; USU Publications: Home Storage of Wheat